Amusement apparatus.



D. H. GLEGHORN. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. APPLIUATION HLBD 11,017.21, 1911.

1,028,543. 1 Pau-,ema June 4, 1912.

z SHEETS-SHEET 14 INVENTOR.

D. H. GLBGHORN. AMUSBMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1911.

Patentd June- 4, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wnNEssEs INVENToli v QWWW DOUGLAS HAMPTON CLEG'I-IORN, 0F SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

AIVIUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 21, 1911. Serial No. 661,623.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known t-hat I, DOUGLAS HAMPTON CLEGHORN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego, State of California, have invented a new and useful Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specicat-ion.

My invention relates to a new amusement apparatus the object of which is to create a new sensation by carrying passengers in carriages on a circular track which has sudden dips and rises. The said track moving in one direction and at the same time the carriages are moving in the opposite direction, thereby giving a sudden plunging sensation to the occupants of the carriages. The object of having the track moving in one direction while the carriages are traveling in the opposite direction is to reduce the speed of said carriages thereby eliminating acdizziness which would be caused by carriages traveling on a circular track at high speed, and at the same time giving the occupants the illusion of great velocity. I attain these objects bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichn i Figure l is a vertical side elevation and section of the machinery pit, portion of circular track and one of the carriages; Fig. 2,

' isa vert-ical end section of machinery pit,

car and track. 1

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, 1 represents an annular track or table of suitable diameter and proportion, adapted to be propelled in the direction of the arrows Fig. 1, and above and upon which may be secured an undulating rail 2, secured'to the track 1 and adapted to travel therewith; the table 2 being in the form of a circle coinciding with the form of the track 1. Vertically beneath the combined track 1 2 is arranged an annular track or carrier 3 of suitable width and proportions, which is adapted to be rotated in a directionreverse to the motion of the track 1-2 and carries and drives a carriage or passenger car 4, which rests upon the undulating track or rail 2, being elevated or depressed by the curvature of the surface of the track 2.v

Any suitable mechanism may be utilized for propelling the superposed track 1--2 and the track 3. In the present instance there is provided a motor 5 which, through means ofgears 6 and l2, drives the lower carriagedriving track 3. The gears 6 and 12 are i supported in suitable bearings 11. The super-track 1 2 may be driven by a suitable motor, as 7, driving a shaft 39, upon which are mounted gears 8, these in turn meshing with and driving gears 9 which engage racks 24 secured on the lower surface of the table 1. The gears 9 are secured and supported upon shafts 38, j ournaled in bearings 37, these in turn being supported by suitable standards 10 in a pit having a bottom 'surface34 and side walls 35. The track struct-ure 1 is supported upon roller shaftsv 17; these being journaled in bearings -16 supported-upon the upper portions of bear- Patented June 4,1912. Y

ing struts and standards 13 upon which are n fixed bearing plates 15, the lower ends of the struts 13 being supported upon suitable footings 18.

Preferably the track structure 1, which is shown as divided in two concentric members in a common plane, is rigidly connected by an inverted U-shaped brace 23, of which al suitable number is employed throughout the circular track structure. The superposed undulating rail 2, upon which the'cars 4 are vertically reciprocated, maybe rigidly connected and supported relatively to lthe main track structure 1 by a plurality of standards 31, of substantial construction, extending from below the track structure to and supported upon the table 1.

Below the track 3 there are provided bearings 19 in which is liournaled a shaft 21 carrying rollers 20; the bearings 19 being mounted upon a substantial foundation structure, as 22.

Within each car 4 are arranged suitable seats 25; the bottom of the cars being provided with rollers 29 adapted to move upon the super-track 2. The bottom of the carriage 4 is provided with a ball joint 28, Y

formed at the upper end of a plunger 26, vertically movable in a standard or sleeve 27, which is rigidly secured to the main turn-table structure 3; the carriage 4 being carried in one direction through its orbit as the track structure 3 is revolving, and the plunger -26 carrying the car 4 reciprocating vertically in the sleeve 27 as t-he car is advanced in adverse direction to the rotation of the undulating track 2. The undulations of the latter track cause the cars 4 to rise and fall.

One of the peculiar effects of the reverse movements of the main track 1 and the lower track 3 is to cause the cars 4 to rise andv fall rapidly while there is a comparatively slow movement of the undulating track structure 2; the sensation being that (the passenger is traveling at a considerable speed, whereas the fact is that since the lower track 3 revolves in an opposite direction to the upper track the cars 4 will reciprocate vertically quite rapidly, but have relatively slow forward motion.

At one side of the structure is erectedva suitable platform 32 to which lead stairs 33.

The present apparatus comprises in ageneral way a continuous annular table 3, ot suitable widt-h, which carries the standards 27 inwhich the plungers Q6 ot the cars 4 are vertically reciprocable; the table 3 being driven in one direction by suitable mechanism, as the motor 5 and its associated train of gears, Vertically above the track 3 is mounted the composite track structure 1 2; the lower portion l of the track being separated centrally so as to form an opening between the adjacent facing edges of the track members for the orbital or annular movement of the chair standards 27 while the track trame 2 is in the form of an undulating rail upon which the car 4 bears at its roller bearings 29. Since the track structure l-2 revolves at reasonable speed in a direction opposite to the track 3, the cars 4 will-be elevated more frequently than they would be in the event that the super-track structure l-Q alone moved while the chair standards 27 were held stationary. The circular movement of the track 3 with the cars 4 may be in reality quite slow so as to avoid any tendency to cause the passengers to become dizzy, and still by interposing the oppositely moved track structure 1-2 the cars 4 will be elevated quite rapidly and all tendency to make the occupants of the cars dizzy is obviated.

Having thus described my invention, what- Iv claim and desirev to secure by Letters Patent isl, In an amusement apparatus, the combination of two endless tracks, one above the other and each mounted vfor rotation, carriages on one track and running on the other, and means for operatingvthe tracks in opposite directions.

2. The combination in an amusement apparatus, of two endless tracks, one above andv supporting the other, carriages carried on one track and running on the other track, and means to revolve the tracks in opposite directions.

3. The combination in an amusement apparatus, of two endless `tracks, one above and supporting the other, carriages `carried on' one track and running on the other track, and means to revolve the tracks in opposite directions, said last named means including a master gear between the tracks and meshing av rack on the respective tracks.

4. The combination in an amusement apparatus, of two endless tracks, one above and supporting the other, carriages carried on one track and running on the other track,

and means to revolve the tracks in opposite directions, said carriages mounted on a ball joint.

5. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of two endless'tracks, one above the other and each mounted for rotation, carriages on one track and running on the other, and -means for operating the tracks in opposite directions, said track on which the carriages travel being undulatory and said carriages having both a limited oscillating mot-ion and a vertical movement toward and from the lower track.

6. The combination in an amusement apparatus with a circular table traveling in one direction, of vertically movable passenger-carrying cars carried by said table, and a superposed track structurev revolving in an4 opposite direction to the car-moving table, upon which latter structure the cars are supported and vertically reciprocated.

7 The combination in an amusement apparatus with a circular table traveling in one direction, of vertically movable passenger-carrying cars carried thereby, a superposed track st-ructure revolving in an opposite direction to the car-moving table, upon which latter structure the cars are supported and Vvertically reciprocated, and a flexible bearing connecting said car to its circularly moving table adapted to permit the car to rock upon its elevating track structure.

8. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a circularly movable annular table, a vertically reciprocable car, connections between said car and the table for carrying the car in one direction 'of the movement of the table, an oppositely moving undulating rail structure upon which the car rests and is vertically reciprocated, means for driving the table, and means for actuating the undulating rail structure.

9. The combination of a circularly moving track structure consisting of rigidly connected, horizontal, annular, spaced tracks, bearings upon which the tracks are supported, means for driving the connected tracks, an annular carrier provided with a plurality of tubular bearings, in each of which is vertically movable a car connection, and a car at the upper end of said connection and resting upon the upper track structure, said tubular bearing moving between the adjacent edges of" the aforesaid tracks and carrying the car in a direction opposite to the movement of the track structure.

10. The combination of a circularly moving track st-ructure consistin of rigidly connected, horizontal, annular, spaced tracks..

/ which the tracks are supported, means for driving the connected tracks, an annular carrier provided With a plurality of tubular bearings, in each of Which is vertically movable a car connection, and a car at the upper endof said connect-ion and resting upon the undulating surfaces ofthe tracks, said tubular bearing moving between the adjacent edges ofthe aforesaid tracks and carrying the car in a direction opposite to the move- 10 ment of the track structure.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

DOUGLAS HAMPTON CLEGHORN.

Witnesses: v

LOUIS A. STELZER, R. L. MYERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

